Vacation Mavens Travel Podcast: Recent Episodes
Family Travel Experts: Tamara Gruber & Kimberly Tate
After nearly a decade behind the mic, we’re wrapping up the Vacation Mavens podcast with one final episode. Over the years, we’ve shared travel stories, destination inspiration, and countless tips to help families and moms plan memorable adventures. In this farewell episode, we take a moment to reflect on our journey and to say a […]
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Dreaming of Alaska? In this episode of Vacation Mavens, Kim and Tamara take listeners beyond the traditional cruise routes to discover one of Alaska’s most beautiful — yet often overlooked — national parks. Kim shares her experience visiting Kenai Fjords National Park, including her stay at the secluded Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge on Fox Island and a breathtaking boat […]
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Planning your first trip to Paris? In this episode of Vacation Mavens, Tamara and Kim talk about Kim’s first visit to the City of Light — and what first-time visitors need to know before they go. From choosing the best neighborhoods to stay in and navigating the arrondissements to tips for visiting top attractions like the […]
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Traveling with kids, parents, and grandparents can be one of the most rewarding experiences—but it also comes with its own set of challenges. In this episode of Vacation Mavens, Tamara and Kim are joined by travel expert Kirsten Maxwell, founder of Kids Are a Trip and Groups Are a Trip. With over 40 countries under her belt, Kirsten shares her […]
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In this episode of Vacation Mavens, we are joined by adventure traveler and blogger Sherry Ott of OttsWorld. We dive into what it takes to plan a successful cycling vacation — everything from choosing destinations and tour types, to picking the right gear, training beforehand, and recovering well. Whether you’re a biking newbie or looking to level up […]
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We recently covered Tamara’s Galapagos cruise and also some tips for visiting Ecuador, but this week we are digging into where to stay in Ecuador. Tamara gives a recap of her trip including some mini hotel reviews for Hacienda La Danesa, Mashpi Lodge, and Hacienda Zuleta. Episode Highlights Tamara spent 17 nights in Ecuador including […]
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For this episode, we are joined by Nicky Omohundro of Little Family Adventure and the Untethered and Wanderwise podcast to talk about some of our favorite fall getaways. With over 15 years creating digital content and as a USA Today 10Best family travel expert, Nicky Omohundro operates a nationally syndicated travel website, Little Family Adventure, […]
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Today we are talking about what happens when you turn left on the airplane and fly business class! Now that Kim and Tamara have flown business class on many airlines including Delta One, Aer Lingus, TAP Airlines, Emirates, Finnair, Condor, Avianca, and others. Whether you are booking on points or paying cash, there are some […]
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We recently talked about Tamara’s trip to the Galapagos but today we are talking more about the logistics about traveling to Ecuador and some travel tips. Tamara spent 17 nights in Ecuador, including 5 nights in the Galapagos and found it a warm and welcoming country with beautiful and diverse landscapes. Amazing Ecuador helped Tamara […]
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Are you ready to go leaf peeping in New England this fall? Tamara shares some great destinations and road trips on where to go to northern New England including Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. New England covers Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island If you are visiting in the fall, you […]
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Kim is back from her 7th Alaska cruise! This one was on Princess Cruise visiting the Inside Passage that cruises from Seattle and visits Victoria, Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagaway and sails through Glacier Bay. Note: Kim was hosted by Princess Cruises for her trip. This cruise visits Victoria very briefly at night so not a […]
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Summer vacation is almost here and we are getting ready for the busiest summer travel season ever! Be sure to pack your patience, your travel insurance, and these travel apps. In this episode we talk about some of our favorite travel apps that we are using lately for road trips, plane travel, and international travel. […]
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St. Maarten is a popular destination in the Caribbean, but many people only visit as a brief cruise port destination. However, getting there is pretty easy with direct flights from the USA and there is plenty to do and see on this Dutch and French Island. Tamara recently visited St. Maarten to stay at the […]
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Kim took her oldest daughter on a Caribbean Cruise for her college spring break this past March. After sailing Holland America in Alaska in the past, she was excited to try the Holland America Caribbean cruise on the Nieuw Statendam. This was a unique itinerary that left from Fort Lauderdale and visited Nassau, Bahamas, Amber […]
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Tamara has finally made it to her 50th state…Oklahoma!! She took an Oklahoma road trip to visit both Oklahoma City and Chickasaw Country in south-central Oklahoma, in partnership with Chickasaw Country and the Chickasaw Nation. Oklahoma City has a lot to offer as a stand-alone destination including the First Americans Museum and the National Cowboy […]
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Tamara is hosting an all-women small group trip to Portugal this fall and she would love for you to join her! Find out all the details and sign up here. Did you know that Kim has been on safaris in four African countries? Today she shares some great tips that will help you decide where you […]
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Tamara is hosting an all-women small group trip to Portugal this fall and she would love for you to join her! Find out all the details and sign up here. In this episode, Tamara talks about her two-week German Christmas Markets road trip! If you have this magical holiday trip on your radar, make sure to […]
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Before we say goodbye to summer and pull on our flannels and break out the pumpkin spice, Tamara and Kim are back with a recap of Tamara’s European summer travels including a month spent exploring France by river and barge cruise! Tamara first spent two weeks in the United Kingdom, on a road trip through […]
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Well it has been a minute since we had a chance to catch up and record a podcast but in this episode Tamara shares her insights and experience from her recent family trip to Japan. Kim and Tamara also share their love for Scottsdale, Arizona and some of the things they did on a girls’ […]
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Kim took a last minute spring break trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland with her younger daughter and this week on the podcast, she tells us all about it! She flew into Dublin and then stay at a country estate hotel in Northern Ireland before visiting Belfast, the Causeway Coast, Derry/Londonderry, and Galway before looping […]
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Spring break is almost here and on this episode Kim and Tamara share their experience on a girls’ trip in Oceanside, California and then their mother-daughter trip to Disneyland with their girls. If you want some inspiration for a SoCal getaway, be sure to listen in! To escape the cold and gray skies in the […]
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Happy New Year! We are back and apologize for taking so long to release a new episode. Moving forward, we will strive to have one episode a month to share our travels and tips, as we continue to each put more time into our respective websites. But first, Tamara has a big announcement and that […]
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This episode is sponsored by Glacier Country Tourism. All opinions are our own. This week, Tamara shares what it is like to visit Glacier Country, Montana on a girls’ trip and Kim shares her thoughts on this scenic part of Northwestern Montana. From Missoula to Whitefish, Kalispell to Glacier National Park — if Montana is […]
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We are back from our summer travel and packed a whole lot into a one episode recap! We apologize in advance for some audio difficulties on this one, especially after taking so long to get it live. Thanks for hanging in there with us! On this episode we cover Tamara’s summer trips to: Nantucket (read […]
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We are still catching up about our spring break trips and this time Kim shares the ups and downs from a Norwegian Cruise Lines voyage from New York City to the Bahamas with stops in “Orlando” and Norwegian’s private island. Listen in and see if you are ready to set sail. In NYC, Kim stayed […]
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After a long hiatus, we are back with an update! Unfortunately Tamara and Kim both came down with COVID after returning from their respective spring break trips, which has delayed getting a new episode out. But this week Tamara fills us in on her adventures (and misadventures) on spring break and shares some of the […]
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Travel is roaring back and before you jet off on spring break, here are a few things you need to know about flying. Tamara and Kim break down which airlines charge fees for baggage, carry on bags, seat assignments, and more. Be prepared and know what to expect before you book your next flight! Airfares […]
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Wondering how to earn more points towards travel? Trying to decide which travel credit card is the best fit for your family? This week we chat with points and miles expert Jennifer Yellin about the best travel credit cards for families. Kim and Tamara also talk about the changing travel restrictions in Europe, the Caribbean, […]
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Family travel adventurer Karilyn Owen, from NoBackHome.com, shares her love of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California. Find out why you should look beyond Yosemite to these lesser visited National Parks. Tamara also shares a some new attractions in New York City that you should check out if you are planning a visit […]
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This week we explore two regions of Portugal. One, the Algarve, is popular for its cliffs, beaches, and sea caves. The other, Alentejo, is lesser-known but serves as the breadbasket of Portugal and is a popular wine region. Our guest, Rachel Laidler, Head of Portugal for EPIC Travel, is an expert in both. About Rachel […]
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